Curtis Dahlgren
The Day After, 8.1; "after the fire, a still small voice"
By Curtis Dahlgren
"There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon earth perplexity of nations, the sea and waves roaring . . . " – Matthew, 1st century A.D.
ALL I CAN SAY IS, I'd best review some of the things that this column has said in the past month or so. Originally this "Day after" series was about the total eclipse. I said, "I'm not saying this eclipse is as significant as some people are saying, but I'm not saying it isn't either." Then the column posted the day "the low pressure storm" Harvey turned into a hurricane, I wrote:
"The President should call . . not an ordinary Day of Prayer as we have had in the past .. [but] all places of recreation and amusement should be asked to shut down .. [and] All churches and synagogues should be open." – Philadelphia Inquirer, August 21, 1961
The conclusion was: "If Google can guess what you're trying to google after 2 or 3 key strokes, don't you think that God can guess what you're going to ask for even before you ask for it?"
That got me to looking up a Scripture which I thought was "After the storm, a still small voice," which I thought was in the book of Job. It would fit because a storm had wiped out all of his children and one of their houses where a celebration was on going. But the passage is actually in First Kings:
"He said, go forth, and stand upon the mountain, and behold, a great strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."
By the way, the Lord wasn't in Job's great wind storm either, although He allowed Satan to "cause" it. I say God wasn't in our two great hurricanes either, but he allowed them! God used more ink on the trials of Job than the glory of Solomon, and Job was a better man "the day after" them (or at least after God explained some things to him about his self-centeredness).
Some people in Texas and Florida – and Mexico – may be saying, "Can't God see?" I said "That's just the problem; He sees EVERYTHING," and He has "ALLOWED" us a "time out" from politics, sin, and our selves." And at least people are trying to help others now!
"Robert E. Lee made some serious mistakes, but (at least) he knew when to repent and concede." – "The Day After: Weep with those who weep; laugh with those who laugh" by CD (September 3, 2017)
I recounted some of the South's "mistakes" (the 1860 census should have told them they didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning, but "they followed their heart" instead of logic). Speaking of snow, there are some advantages to being a cheesehead in the snow belt, away from the Gulf, but that's for another day.
"Weep not for the dead, but weep sorely for the living" I said on September third.
I also said "I grew up in a 'repressed' Protestant church and never went to a single sad funeral. The pastor was spiking the football for the deceased, and we could hardly wait for the sermon to end so we could get to the pot luck, at which afterwards my aunts and uncles and cousins all laughed and laughed about memories of the recently departed . . . Will there be a pot luck for the Gulf coast or more hurricanes to come? It's, like, we shall see what we shall see, y'know? And remember, God does see!" I called it Hurricane Paul Harvey, remembering some of the things he used to say.
"If I were the devil, I'd just keep doing the things he's been doing . . . The Rest of the Story."
I think that was in 1967 when Paul Harvey was sighing and crying over the sins of the House of Columbia, "the gem of the oceans." Hurricanes can teach humongous lessons, if you really want to know. Scripture says:
"Learn the lesson of the fig tree, and all trees: When they sprout leaves, you know that summer is near, even at the doors . . There shall be signs in the heavens . . Men's hearts failing them for fear . . for the powers of heaven shall be shaken . . And when you shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies . . . [more to come]." – Matthew and Luke, 1st century A.D.
SO – "when you see these things BEGIN to happen," LOOK UP!
P.S. Maybe God is thinking, "You want something to PROTEST?"
PROTEST THIS!
PPS: I'm just sayin'! Have we already been "left behind"?
© Curtis Dahlgren
September 10, 2017
"There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon earth perplexity of nations, the sea and waves roaring . . . " – Matthew, 1st century A.D.
ALL I CAN SAY IS, I'd best review some of the things that this column has said in the past month or so. Originally this "Day after" series was about the total eclipse. I said, "I'm not saying this eclipse is as significant as some people are saying, but I'm not saying it isn't either." Then the column posted the day "the low pressure storm" Harvey turned into a hurricane, I wrote:
"The President should call . . not an ordinary Day of Prayer as we have had in the past .. [but] all places of recreation and amusement should be asked to shut down .. [and] All churches and synagogues should be open." – Philadelphia Inquirer, August 21, 1961
The conclusion was: "If Google can guess what you're trying to google after 2 or 3 key strokes, don't you think that God can guess what you're going to ask for even before you ask for it?"
That got me to looking up a Scripture which I thought was "After the storm, a still small voice," which I thought was in the book of Job. It would fit because a storm had wiped out all of his children and one of their houses where a celebration was on going. But the passage is actually in First Kings:
"He said, go forth, and stand upon the mountain, and behold, a great strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."
By the way, the Lord wasn't in Job's great wind storm either, although He allowed Satan to "cause" it. I say God wasn't in our two great hurricanes either, but he allowed them! God used more ink on the trials of Job than the glory of Solomon, and Job was a better man "the day after" them (or at least after God explained some things to him about his self-centeredness).
Some people in Texas and Florida – and Mexico – may be saying, "Can't God see?" I said "That's just the problem; He sees EVERYTHING," and He has "ALLOWED" us a "time out" from politics, sin, and our selves." And at least people are trying to help others now!
"Robert E. Lee made some serious mistakes, but (at least) he knew when to repent and concede." – "The Day After: Weep with those who weep; laugh with those who laugh" by CD (September 3, 2017)
I recounted some of the South's "mistakes" (the 1860 census should have told them they didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning, but "they followed their heart" instead of logic). Speaking of snow, there are some advantages to being a cheesehead in the snow belt, away from the Gulf, but that's for another day.
"Weep not for the dead, but weep sorely for the living" I said on September third.
I also said "I grew up in a 'repressed' Protestant church and never went to a single sad funeral. The pastor was spiking the football for the deceased, and we could hardly wait for the sermon to end so we could get to the pot luck, at which afterwards my aunts and uncles and cousins all laughed and laughed about memories of the recently departed . . . Will there be a pot luck for the Gulf coast or more hurricanes to come? It's, like, we shall see what we shall see, y'know? And remember, God does see!" I called it Hurricane Paul Harvey, remembering some of the things he used to say.
"If I were the devil, I'd just keep doing the things he's been doing . . . The Rest of the Story."
I think that was in 1967 when Paul Harvey was sighing and crying over the sins of the House of Columbia, "the gem of the oceans." Hurricanes can teach humongous lessons, if you really want to know. Scripture says:
"Learn the lesson of the fig tree, and all trees: When they sprout leaves, you know that summer is near, even at the doors . . There shall be signs in the heavens . . Men's hearts failing them for fear . . for the powers of heaven shall be shaken . . And when you shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies . . . [more to come]." – Matthew and Luke, 1st century A.D.
SO – "when you see these things BEGIN to happen," LOOK UP!
P.S. Maybe God is thinking, "You want something to PROTEST?"
PROTEST THIS!
PPS: I'm just sayin'! Have we already been "left behind"?
© Curtis Dahlgren
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